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ok guys... I am heading off to NY next week and when I get back, I am going to try to graft again.

I am going to employ the "density" aspect of beekeeping.

Still not sure if I am going to use a deep hive or a nuc. I just need to remember to keep the density high with bees.

and also not to let the larvae dry out.

And I also learned, from talking with the guy that owns purvis brothers, who, by the way, is really cool, is that, when making up my mating nucs, the bees will not stay in the mating nucs just because there is a queen cell. He said that to keep the population of bees in the mating nucs to place the queen cell in the nuc and close it up until she hatches. Than when she hatches, the bees have a reason to stay.

Regarding your mating nucs, I suggest that you place some frames with brood in the nucs when you make them up. The presence of brood will keep the bees in the nucs until the queen matures and while she is absent on her mating flight(s). If no brood is present, the bees may leave with the queen when she departs for mating.

I don't close them up, but I always put a frame of brood, a frame of honey and shake in another frame of nurse bees for each mating nuc. I put the queen in the next day. Rarely they will abandon the box. Usually they stay.

I want to acknowledge Dann Purvis' coolness as well. I spoke with him early in the spring, and though he must have had other things to do, he took the time to encourage me in my efforts to develop a local strain, advised me on mating nucs, discussed I.I. with me (suggested I ask plenty of questions if I take Sue Cobey's courses), and was all around very pleasant. **** good stock too.
Good Luck Chief!
Tim